Lawson (store) facts for kids
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Lawson's headquarters at Gate City Ōsaki in Ōsaki, Tokyo
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Native name
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株式会社ローソン
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Romanized name
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Kabushiki gaisha Rōson |
| Public | |
| Traded as | TYO: 2651 |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1939 in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio |
| Founder | James "J.J." Lawson |
| Defunct | 1985 (in America; stores sold to Dairy Mart and most of them are now Circle K stores) |
| Headquarters |
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Japan
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Number of locations
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18,052 (July 2021) |
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Area served
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Key people
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Sadanobu Takemasu (President) |
| Owner | Mitsubishi Corporation (50.12%) |
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Number of employees
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4,470 (non-consolidated, 2017) |
Lawson, Inc. (also known as 株式会社ローソン or Kabushiki gaisha Rōson) is a popular chain of convenience stores in Japan. It started in the United States, but today it is a Japanese company. Its main office is in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan.
Contents
History of Lawson Stores
How Lawson Started in Ohio
In 1939, a dairy owner named James "J.J." Lawson opened a small store. He wanted to sell milk from his dairy farm in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. This small store grew into a chain of many stores, mostly in Ohio.
These stores were called Lawson's Milk Company. They sold milk, bread, eggs, and special items like "chipped" ham and sour cream potato chip dips. Lawson's stores were very common in Ohio during the 1960s to the mid-1980s.
In 1959, a company called Consolidated Foods bought Lawson's. Later, in 1985, the Lawson's stores in the U.S. were sold to another chain called Dairy Mart. Many of these stores eventually became Circle K stores. Even today, some popular Lawson's products, like their famous chip dip, are still sold in these stores because people loved them so much!
Lawson's Growth in Japan
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Lawson stores first came to Japan in 1974. A Japanese retail company, The Daiei, Inc., signed a deal to open Lawson stores there. The first Lawson store in Japan opened in June 1975 in Osaka.
Lawson is now one of the biggest convenience store chains in Japan. It's second only to 7-Eleven and bigger than FamilyMart. These stores sell many things that Japanese convenience stores are known for. You can find magazines, video games, manga, soft drinks, onigiri (rice balls), and bento (lunch boxes).
Lawson often teams up with other companies for fun promotions. For example, they've had special items related to video games like Dynasty Warriors 7 and Ingress. They even remodeled a store to look like the "Owson" store from the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga series!
Today, there are over 11,384 Lawson stores. You can find them in all 47 prefectures of Japan. Lawson also has stores in China, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and the United States. In 2017, Mitsubishi Corporation became the main owner of Lawson.
Lawson 100 Stores
In 2005, Lawson opened special stores called "Lawson 100." In these stores, most items cost 100 yen (plus a small tax). This makes them a great place to find affordable snacks and daily necessities.
Lawson Returns to the United States
Lawson returned to the U.S. market in 2012. They opened two stores in Honolulu, Hawaii, on July 7, 2012. One store is in the Sheraton Waikiki hotel, and the other is in the Moana Hotel. Lawson plans to open more stores in Hawaii and other parts of the U.S. in the future.
Lawson's Environmental Efforts
Lawson is working to be more environmentally friendly. In 2012, the company announced a plan to install solar panels on 2,000 of its stores in Japan. These solar panels help create clean energy from the sun.
Each store with solar panels can produce a lot of electricity. Some of this electricity is used by the store itself, and the rest is sold. This helps Lawson earn money while also supporting renewable energy.
Lawson in Other Countries
Lawson stores are found in several countries outside of Japan.
China
Lawson has more than 5,200 stores in China. They are mostly located in and around major cities like Chongqing, Beijing, Shanghai, and Wuhan. The Shanghai area has the most Lawson stores.
Indonesia
Lawson opened its first store in Indonesia in 2011, in Jakarta. In Indonesia, Lawson is part of a company called Alfamidi.
Thailand
In 2013, Lawson started opening stores in Thailand. These stores are called Lawson 108. They are a partnership between Lawson Japan and a Thai company called Saha Group.
The Philippines
Lawson opened its first store in the Philippines in 2015, in Manila. They partnered with a local company called Puregold Price Club. Even though Puregold later sold its share, Lawson stores continue to operate in the Philippines. In 2019, Lawson partnered with Ayala Corporation to keep growing in the country.
South Korea
Lawson stores used to be in South Korea. They opened some stores in 1989. However, in 2000, the Lawson brand in South Korea was taken over by the 7-Eleven franchise. So, you won't find Lawson stores there today.
See also
In Spanish: Lawson para niños
- Loppi (ticketing system)
